Tales twice told
by Spartan036
Summary: Borderlands AU. Episode 1:Part 1. Max Caulfield is a Hyperion worker who was close to making it to the top only for her rival to take it away, but one deal might help her move up. Chloe Price is a con-artist who is about to pull the greatest scheme of the life time. Little do they know...a certain queen is looking to reclaim her throne.
1. Episode 1: Part 1

The town of Arcadia is desolate at the moment since its near noon on Pandora so the locals decided to get a goodnights rest...well, at least rest cause a goodnight on Pandora is impossible unless your in Sanctuary but your not so what now? Huh? What now? Anyway, in the distance is a female figure using some kind of device and scouting the area...

"Chloe? Chloe? Look, we can sort this out..." The figure is Max Caulfield, business girl and worker of Hyperion or at least former. She looks around for the vault hunter. On her right arm is a classic Hyperion prosthetic arm and she has an echo eye on her right. Max is wearing a long sleeved black jacket and black pants.

"I swear, the tracker leads here..." Max looks at the tracker and hears someone walking towards her. She looks up to see a stranger in a gasmask and armed with a conference call shotgun.

"Chloe is that you? Did a leak just happened-" The figure knocks Max out with blood gushing out of her mouth in the process. Soon darkness engulfs Max's view of everything right before blacking out. She wondered how did it come to this? Chloe and her were friends alongside Kate and Juliet...why did it come to this? Soon, Max reopens her eyes to reveal that she is being dragged by the figure and tied up in what appears to be duct tape. She looks at her captor.

"Where...where are you taking me?" Max asks causing him to stop and walk toward her. The stranger wears a Chinese-farmer like hat and has a gas mask and his suit looks pretty stuffy. On the masks face is a glowing optic. He slams the conference call on Max's leg causing her to groan in pain.

"Hey! I was just asking!" She replied.

"I do the talking." He countered right before going back to drag Max again. Silence fills the air once again. The Hyperon worker is already numb to the sight of sand, bandits and the smell of death. But somehow, she was afraid of it still. But that fear is something else. She wondered what happened to Chloe...Chloe probably hates her now after what happened so what's the point? Is she...trying to come forward for once?

"Tell me about the Gortys project." The stranger said thus catching her by surprise.

"Hey pal, Gortys is bad news. But if you want a sweet deal then I can book you a luxury apartment in Eden-" He stops and walks towards Max then aims the shotgun at her.

"Don't start. I'm not a patient person so start talking." The stranger goes back to walking while dragging Max.

"I'm not patient person."

"Right."

* * *

Years ago

Overlooking the planet Pandora is Helios, the pride of the Hyperion corporation and manufacturer of weapons alongside other assortment of products you use. But toothpaste and toilet paper isn't important on Pandora, in fact, its rare. There customers are mercenaries, bandits or killers.

_I guess it all started with a promotion...see, I'd spent my entire career up at Hyperion._

Inside the window is a picture of Handsome Jack on podium with a bunch of loader buts surrounding him. Walking near the picture is Max who is wearing a blue long sleeve shirt. On her neck is a red tie. Covering the blue shirt is a black vest. Back then, Max had a yellow robotic arm.

_So, I suppose that makes me one of the bad guys in this story..._

Max looks at Pandora.

_And Handsome Jack, he was the baddest guy of'em all...and I wanted to be like him._

To the denizens of Pandora, it was hell. But to Dahl, Maliwan, Hyperon, Torgue, Jakobs, Bandit, and Tediore, it was an insta-bank.

_Everyone did._

"I always thought it was cheesy but hey, here we are." Next to Max is Warren Graham, the accountant of Hyperion. She is wearing a white shirt with the torso part covered with a blue vest and has brown pants They hear screaming causing them to turn to see a two midget psycho's on top of a desk and dueling each other as Logan watches them fight.

_Which resulted in a company overflowing with assholes_

"Animals..." Warren muttered while Logan turns to Max who does the shooting guns gesture at her.

_When Handsome Jack died...it somehow got even worse._

Max pretends to get shot but fires back at Logan who gets back to the fight.

_It took some time to fit in..._

She turns to Warren and shakes her head irritably then uses her hand to make a gun gesture and shoots herself.

_But a few stabs in select backs, a new haircut and the help of a couple of friends...I was on my way to get the promotion that was gonna change my life. Scratch that, our lives...for the better. I was a little distract. It was a big day for us. Luckily Warren...was concentrating on the important things. _

"What's the first thing your gonna buy? I know what Jefferson's making...I do his payroll." Oh yeah, I forgot the intro.

**Warren Graham: Best friend, speaker of Klingon [money guy]**

"I...I kind of don't know at the moment. This feels so fast..." Max replied to her friend.

"If you're getting a fraction of what he ears, you'll be rolling in it." Warren chirped at the thought of the things he'll get.

"I think I'll get a gun. Yeah, there's this sniper rifle I've been looking at for a while now, oh man. Its a Dahl, right. Uh, Reaver's edge. And its awesome! You just feel so powerful holding it." They walk towards the door of Mark Jefferson and are about to stop in front of it.

"We're meeting with Dana afterwards to celebrate. She booked us a table."

"Yup. Sounds good." Max replied.

"Look, we had to do a lot of awful stuff to get you to this point. Do I regret some of it? Sure I do. Every night it haunts my dreams, but that doesn't matter now. Cause you made it. You deserve this girl. And don't ever think you don't. And don't ever think about the eridium mine deal we put together."

"Hey, we made it, okay? We're in this together. I'm moving up, we're all moving up. You can be certain of that." She corrected.

"I appreciate that, Max. You know, people around here have short memories when it comes to that stuff."

"You, me, Dana...we're gonna run this place."

"Yes we are." Warren nodded.

"Alright, time to get that Hyperion face on!" He prepped as Max tries to think of something and makes a fake smile.

"Hmm...no, we need some condescending, its a little too friendly right now. Okay, tell you what. Tilt your head back, uh, like if you asked me if there's anything up your nose." Max tilts her head back.

"How's that?" She asks.

"There you go. You don't respect me at all. Perfect." The door slides open to reveal that the desk of Mark Jefferson and his chair turned towards a view of Pandora. On top of the desk is a digital screen.

"Mr...Jefferson?

"Have a seat Max. It'll just be a second. No, I wasn't talking to you. Yes, I'm talking to you now." A voice of a certain rival ordered as Max walks towards the seat and realizing that most of the stuff of Jefferson is gone. Something doesn't feel right at all.

"Yeah, but I don't want it in red, I want in black. Because black is better, look don't concern yourself with why okay, Hayden. Concern yourself how. And just send the car over when its ready." The figure turns the chair around to reveal to be...

"Company car. Didn't even have to ask." He turns the screen over to reveal the car.

**Nathan Prescott: Max's nemesis! [Also possible rapist]**

Nathan makes a shit-eating grin at Max.

"You look surprise to see me, Max...and if I'm reading the situation right, and I usually am...you're not too happy about it either." Nathan taunted.

"I...like your office, very minimalist." Max complemented.

"Aw, that's cute. You're going to be reporting to me now, Max. And I want you to know the promotion that you worked so hard to get, that's still coming to you." She takes a seat.

"Well, that's a relief, cause I-"

"But this about more than that, Rhys. Its about your future in this company. Look...you wanna know the reason why I'm in that chair...and your not? For the exact same reason why North is North, why the handsome guy always gets the girl, and why every spaceship in the universe looks like a cock. Its destiny, Max...and real, real men...make their own. You can hold a grudge if you like, no harm no foul..." He gets up from his seat and looks at Pandora.

"Your thoughts are your own..." Nathan turns to Max with a generous smile on his face but turns threatening.

"But bad things can happen when you swim against fate." Behind Nathan is the dead body of Jefferson floating in space.

"Sometimes men find themselves standing in the way of other men's destiny...you don't wannabe that girl." Max's eyes turn wide at the sight of it.

"Wow...I could not have timed that better, that really helps dramatically make my point. Which is this. This promotion is gonna take out of the way of other people's destiny, and put you on your own path..." Nathan walks towards Max and presses his hands against his desk.

"And that, my friend, is why I am promoting you to-"The speak pings.

"Hayden, why isn't my new car digi-structed in my office yet?"

"Prescott. It's Frank." The voice addressed herself.

"Oh, Frank. Uh..cool. Listen, I actually have somebody here with me so-"

"Are you buying this vault key or what, cause I-" An opportunity appears. An opportunity that will change this situation right on its back. Nathan turns off the loud speaker.

"How did this happen so quickly? I thought I had time!" He replied to Frank.

"Of course I'm still interested I-Yes, I'm near a computer." Nathan turns the screen around.

"Ten million. Yeah. Its just...that's a lot of money together on short notice. I mean, I'm not trying to be obstinate, but I need time." Nathan walks away from the desk causing Max to activate her echo eye and scans the computer right before activating her code to download and decrypt which is on the projector of her hand. It begins decoding to show that the deal is a vault key then deactivates it.

"Why are you trying to screw me on this?"

"Oh, fine. Just wait there, okay? I can only be down...If its gonna be ten million dollars. I'm gonna need another hour or two. Okay. I'll be there in a bit." Nathan turns to Max.

"Well then just stay there. Its tourist shop, right? Buy a mug or something. Sure, sure, sure. Okay say hi to your mom." He walks towards Max.

"Oh...right. Where was I?"

"We were talking...talking about my promotion."

"Oh...right. Your, uh, promotion." Nathan sits on the desk.

"Jefferson was a fool. He didn't know his place. He needed lesson number 1...humility. But you. I respect you, Max. That's why I'm going to make assistant...vice...janitor." The words hit Max like a knife to the chest. All that hard work, all for nothing.

"What? N-no. No, y-y-you can't." Max begged.

"I'm the boss now, Max. I do whatever I want. Report to sewage scow twenty-three, effective immediately." Max gets up and leaves to the door. Nathan has always been a pain in the ass and now he's a bigger one than ever! The door shuts behind Max as Warren stands in shock.

"No...no, he did NOT just get away with that!" Warren exclaimed.

"He just did..." Max walks away from Warren as he follows her.

"All that hard work and all for nothing! We can't let that prick get away with it!" Warren yelled.

"Well what do you expect? There's blood in the water and everyone wants a piece of the action!" Max and Warren continue walking down the halls as Warren is angry enough at the thought of it. He kicks a trash can in front of them which lands in front of a friend of there's. She has a ponytail, blonde, wears a long sleeve orange shirt and skirt.

"Janitor, Max Caulfield. Please report to trash can 4 cause that is your job now, picking trash with your bare hands."

"That doesn't sound like vice president." The girl said.

**Dana Ward: Best friend and lunch leech.**

"So what happened?" Dana asks the two as Max tries to come up with words.

"Well that's my job now, I'm a janitor. Nathan gave me it." Max sighed and accepting her position on Hyperion now. She always was submissive on her enemies. She walks away with Dana and Warren on toe.

"Wait, what happened to Jefferson?"

"Nathan shot him out of an airlock."

"Jeez..." Dana sighed in an unsurprised tone. Most people here in Helios are cowards and they would rather kill a guy by an airlock in an area where no one can see them rather than doing it by themselves.

"We can't let that prick get away with that!" Warren yelled.

"Then how do we screw him over? We've run out of resources." Dana asks.

"...We steal his deal..." Max muttered catching the two's attention.

"Deal?"

"Nathan has set up a deal on Pandora for a vault key, if we steal his deal. We can all move up." The girl suggested.

"That's...that's genius! What are those vault keys worth? Like a million or something?" Warren asks.

"Yeah, a million...but where do we get that amount of money?"

"Hold a on a sec." Warren uses his glasses to add up the amount of money in cash to buy the vault key then turns back to Max.

"Done." Max squints at Warren then smiles.

"Nice." She complemented.

"Well that's what you get when your in accounting." Max and Warren walk ahead of Dana.

"While you guys are ripping off Hyperion, I'll be getting some lunch." They turn to her.

"Dana, Dana! Your in requisitions and we might need a pair of wheels down there. Who knows what kind of necrophillic psycho poop train yelling idiot would do to us! Did you hear what happened to Rhys and Vaughn? He almost got fucked up down there and went native, heard he slept with the locals too and that said local is a con artist!"

"You can send in a loader bot in case if things get dicey. I'll buy you lunch when we get back." Max suggested while Dana sighs.

"Fine but your paying."

* * *

Pandora. 

The sun burns the skins of local of wildlife and some citizens but there used to it already as its always a hot and sunny day in everyone's favorite planet of idiots, evil people, psycho's and murderers. A Pandoran citizen is busy digging for loot next to a billboard with a picture of Rachel Amber welcoming folks and Hyperion employees to Pandora. The citizen spots something in the ground and picks up a large loot chest and lifts up. He gets up from the hole then picks up the chest. Soon he is distracted by an incoming fire from a moonshot cannon nearby causing him to look up to see something crashing. The man is shot in the throat by a bandit who is wielding a sniper rifle then lowers it.

He walks over to the dead citizen and opens the chest...

The unknown round makes a turn towards him and hits the bandit thus killing him instantly. The package slides on the road with the plating taking off to reveal a black, red and gold card with the plate number being N4TH4N. Inside the car is Max and Warren in the passenger seat as the radio plays busy earning from jungle. A rakk flies past the car with Max smiling at it then making a U-turn as Warren looks from the side of the window. The car passes by a skeleton of a large Pandoran creature right before spotting a dead body hanged from a noose that is attached to a billboard reading prosperity junction as Max and Warren spot it. They turn to each other in worried faces then Warren turns to the front...

"Holy crap!"

The car hits a skag causing it stop.

"Holy freaking crap! What was that!?What-what did we even hit? I hope that wasn't like a really ugly person!" Warren panicked and looks outside of the car.

"I...think we killed it, are we murderers now?"

"At...at least it didn't suffer. Poor guy." They continue driving as the skag gets up.


	2. Episode 1: Part 2

Max and Warren drive towards the town of prosperity junction. They said it used to be so lifelike when the researchers came here to uncover the vaults but unfortunately, Atlas dropped out when the hostile wildlife came out to play and soon released the prisoners thus creating the planet it is today. The amount of killers, bandits and other criminals increased when the colonists from Elpis came here. It can be evidenced with the bunch of bandits beating down on a guy and the attacker having an Australian accent. Warren turns to him as the attacker turns in response showing he has a hook for a hand.

"What are you looking at!?" He viciously growled. Warren turns to the front.

"So, got anything that can defend us from these creeps?" Warren asks Max who is driving the vehicle.

"Nothing much but Dana gave me this." Max digi-structs a gun from her echo device causing a conference call to come out of it. Warren whistles at the sight of the legendary shotgun.

"Daaamn girl...that's a lot of heat there. Heard that's the best shotgun Hyperion created, anything else?" He asks again.

"Well, this stun baton in case of close quarters but I'll probably suck at it."

"You know, with that amount of weaponry you got, I get the feeling you'll turn to a vault hunter one day. No offense but you look like you know what your prepared for." Warren observed Max.

"Well...I was born in Pandora." Max explained causing Warren's eyes to widen.

"WHAT!?"

"Sorry that wasn't in my resume. You see, I was born in the town of Arcadia which was shockingly peaceful and a Dad who loved me a lot. I did get injured though by a thresher but he fixed up and gave me a new arm and eye. He used to work for Hyperion actually and though Arcadia was peaceful, I wanted to make it up at Helios one day and use the company that attacked us for good." She explained to Warren who is surprised that Max came from Pandora. MAX CAULFIELD. Yes, the Max Caulfield who is a shy worker and a bit of a geek. The Max Caulfield who is a true friend. The Max Caulfield who looks like she couldn't harm a fly. THAT Max Caulfield who is from Pandora!

"But you look so...so civil."

"Oh, so you think everyone in this planet are outlaws and psycho's? There's people here who want to make it big and can't do anything to do it." Max growled.

"Sorry, I'm just surprised. So do you know where this world of curiosities is?" Warren asks as he cuffs the suitcase onto his hand.

"I went to prosperity junction briefly as a kid and I could barely remember where it is. Lets ask for directions." Max stops the car with the two getting out of it. In front of them is a bar, Rudigier roasting a couple of skag meat and even an unconscious bandit.

"I guess Rudiger is still there..." Max muttered upon knowing who the person selling them is. She walks up to him with her arms crossed thus blocking the Hyperion logo on it.

"E-Excuse me. Do you know where the world of curiosities is?" She called causing Rudiger to look up.

"Well you look familiar. From around here?" Rudiger asks.

"Funny story is I am. Long time no see Rud." Max smiled as his jaw drops.

"Holy...Max? Why long time no see!" The bandit gets off of his place and hugs the girl. He hasn't aged a bit.

"What brings you back here?"

"Just a simple business deal, just signing a few papers and we're all done." Max explained.

"I don't want a repeat of what happened last time so I'll just keep it to myself." Rudiger observed the briefcase. He turns to Max with a smile. Max's arms slip thus revealing the Hyperion logo on her vest causing his eyes to widen.

"Is...is this some sick joke? Or are you spying for the Crimson raiders?" He asks as Max realizes that she revealed the logo on her vest.

"This...a friend of mine gave it to me." Max worriedly replied.

"So you left Pandora after five years then worked with the corporation that nearly destroyed this town?" The bandit growls.

"Well its the only place near here and Dahl is no better after what happened on Elpis and the lost legion. But I'm trying to raise enough money and moving up so I can move Helios away from Pandora and somewhere else." She explained.

"Your an honest girl Max but how am I suppose to believe you?"

"Unlike those assholes up on Helios, I know those place and the people here. I also care about them too." Rudiger sighs.

"Fine, but you hurry up with the deal. The locals here will-"

"HYPERION!" A bandit called as Warren turns around to see a group of scraggly dressed men approach him and glare at the two. Rudgier realizes that there's aren't the town's bandits but blood-shots who somehow came to this town without being noticed. He gives off a yell causing his bandits to come out.

"Is there...some kind of convention?" Warren asks.

"Blood-shots. Why are you here for?" Rudiger asks there leader.

"Yeah, grease face, why are you here?" Max too asks in her Pandoran dialect causing Rudiger to turn his eyes to him and smile knowing that she's a native at heart despite her different looking exterior.

"We just heard a couple of Hyperion's came to town with a deal...so like typical Pandorans, we decided to forcibly take part in it! Hand over the brief case and no one will get hurt!" The leader replied causing Max to pull out her conference call shotgun.

"You don't have the guts to shoot girlie." He taunted.

"I WILL shoot you. My Dad taught me how to fire these things!" Max growled.

"Call Dana, she can send in a loader bot to help us out!" Warren advised. Max activates her arm's call system to contact Dana. First the call symbol pops up then reveals Dana on the screen.

"Already?" Dana sighed.

"Yeah but we got help from the locals though I think they won't last long against these guys." Max replied.

"Alright, I'm prepping a bot but don't go banana's. These things ain't cheap." The requisitions woman advised causing the screen to switch to customizing the loader bot. She gives it a shoulder rocket launcher and a mini-gun then activates it. A large shot sound is heard from the satellite as Max looks up to it. The object makes a turn and lands in front of Max while making an explosion sound. In front of Max is a metal rectangle box that slowly grows arms then legs thus forming the loader bot. Silence fills the air as Rudiger makes a grin at the blood-shots.

"Ooh, it just got quiet all of a sudden." Max taunted. The bandits look at the robot then back to the squad of bandits aiming there guns at them as Max and Warren then Rudgier look at each other.

"...Kill'em all!" The bandits yelled in unison and pull out there guns.

"Take cover!" Rudgier yelled as Max nods and Warren too.

"Don't shoot me in the face!" Warren begged and takes cover behind the an old as Rudgier pulls out his madhouse assault rifle and taking cover behind his stand. Max peers out of cover and fires her shotgun at them which hits one bandit in the face. More of Rudgier's bandits come out and fire at the blood-shots. The loader stands there as the bullets just simply budges it slightly.

"Angry eyes detected." The loader bot said.

"Why isn't it doing anything!?" Warren asks while panicking.

"I think it only does whatever I say!" Max uses her arm to go on the loader bots HUD and commands it to draw its gun.

"Okay...I got this." The loader bot shoots the bandit in front with the gun thus riddling his body with bullets and giving it a nice comfy home. Another bandit hops on the gun and fires his assault rifle at it but Max commands the robot to spin its gun around thus causing him to trip and thrown against the car Max and Warren were in. The bandit gets up only to get shot to death by the loader. A blood-shot raider looks at the loader bot then turns to the bathroom stall.

"He must really have to go." Max commented only for him to rip it off and use the door as a shield.

"That is not good." She winced as he picks up a gun from his fallen comrade and fires from it.

"Oh, come on!" Max commands the loader bot to fire at it but the makeshift shield blocks her shots thus letting the raider continue firing.

"Kill the robot thing!" The bandit roared. Max commands the bot to ready its shoulder rocket launcher and fires a swarm of missiles at the bandit thus knocking off his shield and leaving him shellshocked. She commands the bot again to fire at him. The swarm of bullets push the man into the stall. Max and Warren move up to there car. The loader bot walks towards the blood-shot leader as Rudgier's bandits move up with him leading but the leader gives out a yell with more of his posies coming out of cover. A blood-shot up on the roof pulls out his rocket launcher

"Rocket! Rocket! Rocket!" Warren warned.

"I know!" Max commands the loader bot to move. More bandits appear on the roof as Max activates the shoulder rocket launcher at them. The rockets send the bandits flying.

"Well, I know why these cost so much..." Warren muttered but a bandit hits him in the head and grabs the briefcase then gets inside the car with it being still cuffed to Warren's wrist.

"Ugh, wait, wait, wait! Wait!" The car moves as Warren is dragged by it.

"Max, I'm attached to a moving vehicle! Help!" Rudgier fires at the car but most of his shots are a miss with Max getting up.

"Uh, loader bot, go get that car!" She commanded as the loader walks towards it.

"Stop. Thieves." It warned.

"Lets split up then we can corner him!" Rudiger advised. Max nods and she runs with the loader bot only for a bandit bus to come out of nowhere and block them. She covers her face and moves to the left into an alley way. A blood-shot jumps from a ledge nearby and pushes Max on the ground right before drawing his axe but Max crawls up to avoid it as the axe lands in between her legs. She gets up as the wall behind her helps her up. The bandit swings his axe but Max avoids him thus getting the axe stuck against the wood. Max pulls out her shotgun and shoots the bandit in the head. She gets up to the ladder only for a couple of bandits to appear, a grunt and raider. The first one swing his axe towards her but she ducks and shoots him in the stomach then aiming the gun one-handedly at the raider who knocks away her arm then grabs Max by the throat. Max pulls out her stun baton and shocks the raider in the head opening thus killing him. She heads to the latter and heads up to the view overlooking the battle.

Warren is nowhere to be seen. Max turns to the bloodshot leader.

"What did you do to Warren!?" Max asks him.

"How am I suppose to know!? Your stupid robot threw us! Now hurry up and die lady!" He draws his butcher knife but its shot off by Rudiger. The leader looks at Max in worry and she shoots him in the chest with the conference call thus sending him flying against a billboard. The billboard falls over to reveal the world of curiosities.

"Thank you..." She muttered.

"Hey, Max!" Warren cried causing Max to look down to see Warren being lifted by the loader bot alongside the vehicle. He uncuffs himself and falls on the ground then takes cover.

"Loader bot, drop the vehicle." Max ordered.

"Sure thing." It replied and throws it at the bandits as Rudiger and his bandits fire at the blood-shots who are slowly being overwhelmed. Max and Warren hide underneath the loader bot.

"Max! Do something!" Warren yelled.

"Bing. Weapons subsystem requires your attention."

'Alright, we'll have to improvise." Max draws her holographic HUD which is now red.

"Time to get funky." The loader bot said. Max optimizes the weapon efficiency to 45% then the rocket launcher to at least 90%. A warning statement comes up showing that the modification violates the user agreement but Max jailbreaks it. The weapons system customizes itself thus turning the efficiency to now 110%.

"Welcome to oblivion."

"Everybody get down now!" Rudiger warned causing everyone to duck and the loader bot spinning around while firing its weapons all over the place. Bandit bodies fall over the place as they all get up.

"Fatality." The loader bot mocked. More blood-shots shoot at them with Rudiger and team overwhelmed by the firepower thus causing them to retreat. Max and Warren turn around to reveal that the world of curiosities is locked.

"Uh, how do we get inside?" Warren asks.

"Uh..we could..." The loader bot lifts the two up.

"Yeah, that." They hop over the gate and turn around to see the loader bot giving them a thumbs up.

"Uh...thanks, loader bot." A bandit latches on to the robot thus tripping him over.

"This is totally uncool." The robot complained.

"Why must the universe punish the good." It tries to shake off the bandit off of him but his friends shoot off his leg right before his another bandit rips off his arm and beats him with it.

"The metal is willing but the spirit is weak."

"C'mon, Max, just tell it to run." Warren ordered as Max activates her holographic HUD again. She activates the evacuate option and presses it.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." The loader bot flies away with the bandits falling off of it and leaving a path of destruction along the way. Max has a saddened look on her face.

"I will name my first child...loader bot." She turns to Warren.

"Well, you know probably not." Max bows her head in shame cause loader bot would be a stupid name.

"I...I can't believe we're alive." Warren gets up while adjusting his bow tie.

"I mean, I-I never wanna see somebody's brains come out of their nose, not ever again." He turns around.

"That...that was the single scariest experience...of my entire life!"

"Sorry Warren, Pandora's an unpredictable place and I assure you that it won't happen again. I promise." Max assured while rubbing her arm and checks the ammo count on her conference call shotgun showing that its still full and sighs in relief right before turning around.

"Alright, lets just find this guy, Frank, buy the key..." In front of Max and Warren is stuffed wildlife of Pandoran animals. On the right is an alpha skag skull and a locked loot box and a mounted head of a weird fish looking thing. Looks like the place has gotten a little better after the renovation, even the stuffed and possibly decaying bullymong is still there. Max walks past the exhibitions while looking at the bullymong.

"Eh, does everything on this planet have to look like a giant monster?" Warren grimaced. They finally stop in front of a man sitting on a comfy couch...with a stab mark on his chest which is replaced by a speaker

"Alright, you know, the stuffed animals was one thing, but this is taking a turn I really don't want it to." The speaker goes off.

"Right this way to the world famous hall of Pandoran Luminaries. Come face to face with icons of the planets turbulent history...and hear how each met there grisly fate" Max and Warren enter the hall to the right to show bodies mounted by the owner of the museum. First off was Bewm.

"Bewm like many of the planets residence was fond of throwing explosives and other assortments of deadly armaments."

"Don't we all on this planet." Max muttered with Warren nodding. They continue to walk and spot a familiar figure.

"Oasis resident, Shade was loved by all townsfolk and will certainly be missed...not in the least bit insane!" Warren observes Shade and realizes that something is wrong.

"I am really not liking this place." Warren whined. They spot at the body of professor Stella.

"Professor Stella who had a fondness of former tyrant, Handsome Rachel attempted to clone her idol...killed by stairs!"

"Yeah, professor Nakayama the second." Max muttered.

"Hey, it looks like she has one of those Hyperion data chips. I heard they pay a fortune up at Helios." Max takes the chip from the corpse of Stella. Warren knocks on the door then pulls it revealing that its locked.

"Great, its locked." Warren sighed.

"There has to be a key somewhere in these corpses..." Max said while observing them.

"Your the Pandoran, so you go look for them instead." She sighs and walks past the body of Nine-toes. The lights brighten up to reveal the bodies...Max passes by Shades's stand to reveal that its empty. Something is seen hiding in the shadows...

"HI!" A certain man came out.

**Shade! Not the least bit insane.**

Shade jumps in front of the two.

"How are you-"

Max pulls out her conference call shotgun causing Shade to gulp in fright.

"Not great!" Warren commented.

"Are you two not just the handsomest devils-"

"I. HAVE. A. FUCKING. SHOTGUN." Max roared at Shade as a warning while raising the weapon.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you guys just please don't shoot me!" Shade begged.

"Then do that then cause I was close to shooting your face in the face!" She replied to Shade right before storing her weapon in the deck.

"What-what is this, is this part of the-like some kind of ride or something?" Warren irritably asks Shade and looks at the body of Bewm then turns to Shade again as Max tries her best not to loose it and go native.

"Since the moment we walked in, its been just one big freaky puppet show, so I-"

"Thanks!" Max rolls her eyes and pulls out the shotgun again.

"Max, is that your answer to everything? I've never seen you this aggressive." Warren whimpered.

"Don't worry Warren, I'm being in touch with my roots."

"I'm Shade, and this...is my world of curiosities!" He introduced himself and turns around showing the place.

"Let me tell you right off the very bat. I am deeply sorry that you strapping young adults threshers here have to witness it in such sad disrepair." Shade walks towards them.

"Time can take a toll you know. And on more things than one!" Shade gives a chuckle which weird out Max and Warren. He adjusts his voice.

"But unfortunately we are closed for renovations." The man walks towards the door while backing up.

"Listen, we're here to make a deal, alright? We're buying...a thing. Something valuable. You know anything about that?" Max asks.

"I know a lot of things about a lot of things, and this thing in particular...you're Hyperion. Right? Here for Frank?" Shade replied. Max nods.

"Yeah? If you wanna buy something strange and illegal, this is the certainly the place to do it!" Shade opens the door while Max shrugs at Warren and pulls out her gun again in case of emergencies. They enter a room displaying a crystalisk, large one for that matter.

"My grandpappy, he's the one who came up with this place. He was a real thinker, a real lover of animals. Still is actually cause he's definitely not dead! But the place itself..." Max and Warren look at the dead beast.

"What happened? Get stuck in traffic?" They turn to see a blonde Daryl Dixon sitting behind a desk. Besides him is a girl who appears to be blonde

"You Hyperion guys are usually so punctual."

"Sorry, we got into a brawl with a couple of bandits."

"Well its Pandora alright. If it isn't a bug stampede then its a psycho trying to use you for rocket practice."

"I guess that's my cue to do your business." Shade leaves the scene.

"Anyway, I'm Frank. I guess you should know by now."

**Frank: The guy with the key!**

Max and Warren look at each other then to the blonde haired girl who looks worried now and walks behind him.

"Is, uh...is Nathan comin?" Frank asks.

"Nathan couldn't make it. He's sick." Max replied.

"Yeah, he ate some bad stuff...or something. I dunno. He's been caped out in the executive washroom since lunchtime." Warren agreed as the blonde girl shakes her head in disgust.

"He's got trains leaving out of the station, if you know what I mean." Max teased.

"Eck, okay. I got the picture, well done." Frank grimaced.

"So what's your name?" The blonde asks.

"Its Max, Maxine Max Caulfield." She introduced herself.

"Max? Sounds Pandoran...around here or something?" Frank asks.

"Yeah, Arcadia Bay."

"Nice to see another local here in Pandora that's not a psycho not bandit! Come take a seat." The two walk towards the table and sit on the opposite sides. Max takes the only seat while Warren stands.

"Okay, so, lets see the money." Frank ordered.

"Warren, show him." Max said to her friend. Warren tries to activate the code but somehow it isn't working.

"Uh...just a sec." Frank sighs and pulls out the vault key container. He opens it to reveal it in its all purple vault key-ness.

"Holy..."

"Freaking a it is, you never seen something this beautiful in your entire life?" Frank asks.

"Not at all..." Max awed at the vault key.

"Okay, so...the way I, ah, usually do these things..." The case is suddenly shut in front of Max's face which kills the moment.

"Wait." The blonde girl said.

"What?"

"IIII...I just don't like it. I got a-I got a feeling." She observed the two and walks next to the table.

"Look, you said when I started to get a feeling about something that I should tell you that we should walk away, right?" Max is close to drawing her conference call right now if SHE ruins the deal. Her brains over him and him on all over on the ground missing and arm or two.

"Is she okay?" Max asks while restraining anger right now.

"Yeah, yeah...she's just freaking out...she does that sometimes." Frank replied. She grabs the case containing the vault key and backs away to the large fan behind them.

"Taylor, what the hell!?" Frank yelled.

"I just-I just don't like it, they've had this...weird attitude on their faces since the moment they walked in!"

"What are you talking about!?"

"And why..why wouldn't they show you the money?! Huh? What's up with that?!" Taylor continued.

"Taylor!"

"They've been all, Oh yes sir, and oh no, sir and, oh I have the money we agreed upon right here!"

"Nothing your saying is bad!" Warren added.

"Nobody does that! And especially a traitor like you Max who's now a Hyperion ore monkey, who'd rather betray her own father and mother and bomb them than never leaving them behind than talk things through!"

"What's wrong with you Taylor!?"

"Its her face! She looks like she would be giving you a handjob!"

"Hey, Taylor? Taylor listen to me. I know you don't trust Hyperion and I can tell that my native roots aren't convincing but please, take the money. This deal is life changing for all of us and its okay that you think your trying to screw us over but we're doing this deal to screw over the biggest asshole up there too! So please, take the money, that's all that I'm asking for and let us screw over the biggest jerk in Hyperion. Don't you trust a fellow Pandoran who is not a psycho nor bandit but just a girl with big dreams ahead of her?" Max pleaded.

"So your telling me that this deal will help screw over some other wretched Hyperion stooge?" Taylor asks.

"Yes!" Warren replied. Taylor squints at them and smiles.

"Alright, I'm sold." The girl decided

"Awesome. Lets do this."

"Wait, just wait."

"Frank, everything's fine now." Taylor reasoned while walking towards him then gives him the case.

"I mean...I don't know, if you really think..."

"No, no. Its okay. The feelings gone, Frank. Lets do the deal."

"I dunno, maybe todays not right." Frank concluded as Max walks in on the two.

"Uh, the bad feeling is gone, Frank. She said so herself. We still got a deal here. There's no problem, lets just-"

"No, I'm-I'm sorry guys, I was-I thought I was gonna deal with Nathan, and...now this, I just...I just think we should call it off until I think things are square." Frank begins to walk away.

"Maybe another time fellas." Those words hit Max like a psycho riding on a meat bicycle and that psycho realized that she was still alive and proceeded to beat her with her own leg.

"Frank, we're here, we should just do this. Really."

"Nah, I made up my mind." Frank replied as he walks past Warren.

"Frank, wait!" Warren begged then turns to Max.

"This is your department, do something!" The boy ordered as Max looks at the case and Frank walking away with it. Time slows down for her as she tries to think things through. Blow his mind or break his heart.

"Frank." Max called causing Frank to turn around.

"Actually, that's okay, you don't know it yet."

"Know what?" He asks.

"That this, this is it!" Max walks closer to Frank.

"You can't see that one day...maybe ten years from now, maybe en months, maybe tomorrow...you're gonna think back on right now and scream to the stars." Max walks around Frank.

"For mercy of death just so you'll not have to live in the wondering of what could have been." She pats Frank on the shoulder and removes it as Frank kneels on the ground.

"What if I had seized that chance by the throat, what if I had beaten my fears, taken what was so rightfully mine?" Max bends one knee in front of Frank.

"What if...what if I had won?" Max asks Frank. Frank begins crying mad tears while covering his face.

"I am a winner, Max!" He removes his cover.

"I...am...a winner!" The Hyperion worker rises up as a glorious sunlight shines upon her and the background changes to space while she puts her hands on her hips then looks forward. Frank opens the case and gives Max the vault key

_What a steaming load of skag crap! _

* * *

Present. 

Max is dragged by the stranger to the town entrance and spots a familiar figure tied against a pole and she knew who it was. She wished that she didn't come back here to Pandora nor she wished to have met her to spare herself from the pain.

"Oh, I was mixing up the story up a notch you no class Pandoran scum! And I was about to get to my favorite part. You know where you come in and you ruin my life!" Max yelled at the girl.

"Oh, nice haircut you lying Hyperion jackass."

"It is a nice haircut!

"Oh, shut up!" The girl spat before kicking dirt into Max's echo eye.

"Stop it, stop it! You're getting dirt in my eye!" Max warned.

"Well, that sucks, cause I'm trying to get it in your lying mouth!"

**Chloe Price! Con artist. **

Max coughs out Sand from her throat.

"Alright, alright. Mission accomplished. And I'm not lying, okay. I'm...embellishing. And how the hell would you know anyway? You weren't at the deal." Max ask.

"Of course I was, ya dope. I can't believe you still haven't figured that out. I knew you were dense the moment I-" The stranger fires the conference call thus interrupting the argument.

"Your turn, Chloe."

"My turn for what?"

"Tell me your side of the deal."

"You couldn't have asked me first? You kidnapped me hours ago." The stranger looks around with his gun raised.

"I guess I could've."

"You guess? I've been baking in the sun with rakks diving bombing me for the last-" He fires his gun again.

"Yeah, okay...I get it...this fraud conveniently left out the most important part to this whole thing."

"Which is...?" Max asks.

"...The vault hunters showed up."

* * *

Flashback. 

"Its mine!" Max yelled while tugging the vault key from Frank. Behind a large fan is Chloe watching the whole fiasco. Soon they stop tugging after something slices the billboard in front of them and turn there eyes to it. It is sliced by a buzzsaw axe and finally plasma fire. Bursting through it is a female psycho with blonde hair and white sleeveless shirt accompanied by a certain Christian girl you want to protect riding on the shoulders of a death robot.

_Wait, wait!_

* * *

Present

"How is that important!?" Max yelled at Chloe because she didn't know where to start at the moment cause that was the most badass moment they had in there life. In fact, when she met Max Caulfield and Warren Graham, it changed there lives for the better and the worst.

"Sorry, I can only name one thing!"

"Stop! Just start from the beginning, please." The stranger groaned as Chloe rolls her eyes.

"Fine."

* * *

Flashback

_I was born here...on Pandora...in a city cast in shadow known as Hollow Point...its in a cave._

Darkness covers Hollow point though light is seen through a hole that is the outside world of Pandora. Though Hollow point is somewhere in an obscure part of Pandora, a place not so well known to some bandits which is why they say where art and culture fuse together. In between two houses in the alley is a caravan which looks like its seen a lot due to its markings, on the side is a tiny text reading Rhys x Fiona 4ev.

_Anyway, for a long time it was just me and my friend. Just a couple of kids stealing what we could to survive._

Inside the caravan is a woman working on something while Chloe who is wearing a red dress jacket with yellow outlines on it and white long sleeve shirt underneath it alongside white pants.

_Until we met Sasha...we tried to nab her wallet...not only did she stop us...she showed us how to do it better. We've been working together ever since._

Chloe spots a picture of her first heist who was Sasha herself. The woman slightly aged a little.

"This is taking too long...she's waiting." Chloe advised

_This latest scam was our biggest yet...the one that would set us up for life._

_That's sounds familiar..._

_What can I say..a lot of these stories start out the same way._

Chloe continues to pace around the room in impatience.

"Chloe? Relax. There's nothing to be nervous about." Sasha assured the young con-artist.

**Sasha: Raised Chloe (into a life of crime.)**

The girl smiles at Sasha before taking a deep breath. Chloe looks at the vault key which is a fake one right before Sasha turns on the button which causes it to glow and gives off a false light to it.

"If Frank is a fence worth his cut, he'll be selling it to some Hyperion stooge..it should be good enough to fool them." Sasha gloated.

"Didn't you do this last time and it didn't end well?"

"I did but this looks pretty accurate." The older woman replied.

"The paint may still be wet though so don't touch." Sasha notices that Chloe looks a little worried now for some reason. Likely that there scamming out Hyperion.

"Chloe, there's nothing to worry about. You play a lot of roles and have experience in almost everything when it comes to conning a guy. If Taylor says your a psycho then you'll hunch your back and start yelling about poop trains." She motivated as Chloe paces again but turns around.

"You can count on me Sasha." Chloe said as Sasha closes the case. She is about to give it to Chloe but pulls away.

"Wet paint-" Chloe grabs it.

"Don't touch." Chloe leaves the caravan to the alley. Nearby is a man throwing up which disgusts her while she passes by wanted posters, one of which is her, so like any other outlaw, she removes it. On the wanted poster is the vault hunters. Victoria Chase is at least $720,000,0000 cause she's property of Hyperion while Kate Marsh is $820,000,000 for creation of unauthorized technology and excessive adorability. Next to them is Luke Parker who's price is $5,000,000 because he's a war criminal, Evan for $99,000,000,000.99 for treason against Hyperion and impersonating Handsome Jack and Courtney which is $32,000,000,000 for political assassination. Soon a horde of psycho midgets came out of the house nearby and start stabbing a man into a pile of garbage.

Chloe walks towards the group.

"Alright, that's enough." She warned as the midgets turn to her and hiss. Chloe hisses back at them and they run away. Chloe grabs the money from the dying man and walks towards the purple skag bar. In front of it is Tector Hodunk.

"Taylor didn't tell me of a bouncer." Chloe walks towards he bar only to be stopped by Tector.

"Sorry, VIP's only." Tector informed.

"I am the VIP." She replied to the redneck.

"Uh...no offense mame, but you don't look like a VIP. VIP's are suppose to be fancy lookin' and all." He looks around for a list.

"Well, I am dressed fancy. Can't you see that?"

"Yeah but they never mentioned you on the-" Tector notices the wanted poster behind.

"Wait, wait!" He pulls out his handgun and aims it at Chloe.

"Your face is on that paper...why is it on there!? What do them words say!?" Tector yelled at Chloe as she tries to come up with something to fool this idiot. She realizes that he can't read.

"That says I'm the VIP." Chloe explained.

"But there's only one person on it."

"Then I must really be important."

"She's with me Tector." Behind Tector is...

**Taylor! Best friend and totally doesn't replace Rachel!**

"Aw, Taylor! You shoulda told me!" Chloe gets up the stairs of the purple skag and smiles at Taylor. She looks at the wanted poster right before ripping it off and entering the bar. Taylor goes back to her position in the bar and cleans the tables. In front of Chloe is a drunk man sleeping on a table while another one is drinking beer. She walks up to Taylor.

"I'm here." The con-artist said.

"Alright, so I came up with an identity for you but this is going to be a lot so you think you can take it all in?" Taylor asks.

"I'm already a master of conning people out so roll out."

"Your name is Lidia Strauss, you have been an archeologist for awhile and your from Eden-5 where you found the vault key but your originally found the vault key in Eden-6. Got it memorized?" Taylor asks.

"Yep."

"Here comes my boss." Walking beside Frank is a man wearing a beanie hat and an eyepatch.

"Madsen, how do long do you know me?" Frank asks Madsen.

"I've known your family a couple of years."

"So don't worry about it and pay that tab tomorrow." Madsen smiles at Frank.

"I'll pay it tomorrow."

"Good, say hi for the wife for me why don't cha? Tector, get this guy home." Frank assured as Madsen walks away. Tector turns towards Frank and Frank nods to him. He pulls out his gun and walks towards. Frank walks towards Chloe...only to hear gunfire from outside and an electric burst. Madsen comes out running inside the bar with gunshot wounds all over him and falls over in front of Frank.

"Okay Frank, I'll pay, I'll pay, I'll pay! Just don't kill me!" He begged as Frank pulls out a pistol.

"You already did." Frank shoots Madsen in the head causing blood to splatter over her cheek. Tector walks back into the bar.

"The guy hada Maliwan shock shield on'em. Shocked me real good." He explained as he takes the body of Madsen out into the bar with Sasha arriving.

"Skipped out on his tab?" Sasha asks.

"Something like that." Tector replied. Frank turns to Chloe and wipes the slash of blood from her cheek.

"Now where were we? Lidia, right?" Frank asks.

"Yep, that's me."

"Alright, lets talk business." The two walk over to a booth nearby with Taylor wiping the blood from the ground. Chloe sits in front of Frank while Frank sits in front of Chloe.

"So, how long have you been an archeologist?" The man asks her.

"I've been one in a awhile, four years actually." Chloe answered with Frank having an impressed look on his face but soon turning suspicious.

"Must be pretty lonely. Where you from though?"

"Eden-5."

"Okay then, lets see the key." She takes the case and opens it to reveal the vault key. Frank looks at it in an astonished expression knowing that he has never seen a vault key in his life. So like all people, he reaches his hand towards it. Chloe catches his hand.

"You're grabbing my hand..." Frank scowled.

"Its...radioactive." Chloe explained.

"She's helping you boss from puking your intestines out."

"Yeah but-"

"Didn't you hear of Eridium poisoning?" Chloe asks.

"...Can't say I do." Frank's echo device rings and he picks it up.

"Nathan. Its me, Frank." He spoke and got up from his seat. Sasha turns to Chloe who nods in response. Frank is busy talking to Nathan on the echo call.

"Ten million in cash." Frank ordered as the call went on.

"Oh yeah, say hi to your-he hung up on me." He turns to Chloe.

"Alrighty then, the deals happening in the world of curiosities." Frank leaves as Chloe looks at her drink in a determined look right before setting it down.


End file.
